Using the Ken-a-vision Video Flex 7000 series

Introduction:
This document is divided into two main parts. The first part shows how to use the ken-a-vision to display presentations via a projector while the second part deals with using the ken-a-vision video capture features to create still images for use in documents or on webpages. Some of the basic steps for making sure that the camera is working correctly are the same, but where they are the similarity is noted so it is not necessary to read one section if you are only interested in the other.
Using the ken-a-vision to display to a projector:
1. Make sure that the ken-a vision is turned on:
  There is a translucent red button right above the ken-a-vision logo on the base of the unit. If that button is not lit up then the unit does not have power. Press the button to turn on the power. It is not necessary that the base unit be plugged into a wall outlet in order for the unit to have power. The ken-a-vision's USB connection to the computer can provide power if it is not plugged into a non-powered USB hub.
2. Make sure that the ken-a vision is connected to the projector:
  The ken-a-vision allows for two types of video output: standard RCA and S-video. It is only necessary that one of these two types be used to connect to your projector. To check your connection simply look at the back of the ken-a-vision and if there is a wire running from either the “S-VHS Out” or “Video Out” jack into a jack marked appropriately “S-Video/S-VHS In” or “Video In”.
  
  If you are having difficulties and the input to the projector seems to be the problem (i.e. the ken-a-vision has power and the projector will display from other sources) double check the input jacks to the projector. There are often several different types of input and output and it is easy to connect to the wrong jack. Also if you are connecting both the audio and video using RCA jacks (the type that connect to the “Video Out”) make sure that you have connected the video output from the ken-a-vision to the video input on the projector and not accidentally reversed the audio and video.
3. Make sure the projector is on:
  The projector has two separate conditions that must be met in order for it to come on. One the projector unit must have power and two the lamp must be turned on.
  1. If none of the lights on the projector are lit up then the projector is not on. Check to make sure that it is plugged into a working outlet and that the power switch at the bottom of the projector is turned on.
  2. If the lights on the top of the projector are on then the base unit is powered. In order to turn on the lamp you can either push the Power button on the top of the projector or if you have the remote control then you can press the Power button there. When you press the power button give the projector 15 seconds to come on before pressing the power button again. The lamps in the projector use very high voltages and it can take several seconds for them to warm up. If you press the power button repeatedly then you may turn the projector off again while the lamp is warming up.
4. Adjust the projector's input source:
  Most projectors will have a button marked Mode on their top. Pressing this button will change the projector's input source. In order to make the ken-a-vision the input source, simply press the Mode button repeatedly until the display from the projector matches what the ken-a-vision is pointed at.
  
  Additionally many projectors also have a remote control which also has a mode button on it. Pressing that mode button should achieve the same effect as pressing the one on the top of the projector.
5. Adjust the display properties:
  Both the ken-a-vision and the projector have options to control how the image is displayed. The most common problem is focus. If all of the images displayed by the projector (i.e. when the computer desktop is on the projector instead of the ken-a-vision) are out of focus then you should adjust the focus using the panel on the top of the projector or the remote control. If the projector is in focus, but the ken-a-vision isn't then you can control the ken-a-vision's focus by turning the ring around the camera lens.
  
  The ken-a-vision also provides a “high-definition” option which will reverse the contrast of the image making it look like a photonegative. There are other buttons for controlling the aperture (the amount of light that the camera takes in) but on the whole they affect the image quality little.
Using the ken-a-vision to capture still images:
The ken-a-vision camera includes special drivers that allow you to capture an image from the camera as though it were a scanner.
1. Make sure that the ken-a vision is turned on:
  See “Make sure that the ken-a vision is turned on:” in the previous section.
2. Make sure that the ken-a vision is connected to the computer:
  The Ken-a-vision should be connected to the computer via a USB cable. It will go from the USB out on the camera to an input on the back of the computer.
3. Start Microsoft Photo Editor:
  (It is possible to use any program that supports a TWAIN compliant scanner. We are using Photo Editor because of the variety of file formats that it supports.)
4. Start a new scan:
  
  Either click on the little scanner icon in the toolbar or under the File menu select Scan Image. This should bring up a dialog box with a video feed and options to allow you to adjust the video quality:
  
  Clicking Capture Still Image will then capture the current contents of the video window to an image.
5. Save your image:
  Under File and Save As you will be able to choose a place to store your image as well as several different file types (listed in the Save as type box.) The type of format that you should choose to save your image as depends on the use that you plan for the image. On the whole if you are wanting to edit it using paint then save it as a bitmap, otherwise a jpeg will work best.
  
  If you want to know about your options, there are four main types that you might consider (there are others listed but they are falling out of usage).
  1. Windows Bitmap (.bmp): This type will create a very large file which is not especially useful for internet applications but which is compatible with Windows Paint if you would like to edit your image using that program.
  2. Graphics Interchange Format (.gif): Along with jpegs, these are the most common type of image used on the internet today. The data is compressed which will make for a much smaller file size and this type is recognized by most modern graphics manipulation programs (a notable exception being Windows Paint.) Gifs are restricted to 256 colors however and if your image has more, then the number of colors will be reduced. This can sometimes cause unacceptable damage to the image quality (splotchy color or spots the stick out.) Also, the method used to compress gifs is patented by Unisys Corporation and under certain publishing circumstances they are requiring royalties from groups using gifs. This has not affected individual users though, only corporate entities.
  3. Joint Photographic Experts Group File Interchange Format (.jpg): This is the other format used most commonly with the internet. Unlike gifs, jpegs support up to 16 million colors so color conversion is not an issue. Jpegs however, are compressed using what is called a “lossy” method meaning that parts of the image are lost when the image is compressed in order to make the file smaller. This can sometimes cause noticeable damage to images which contains complex and/or small elements.
  4. Portable Network Graphics (.png): This is an older file format but it is only recently gaining popularity as the color loss and patent issues surrounding gifs as well as the loss associated with jpegs make those formats unsuitable for many applications. Pngs combine the most useful aspects of both jpegs and gifs. Like jpegs they support up to 16 million colors but they are "lossless" like gifs, meaning that all of the original data is preserved (they are even more "lossless" the gifs in that a gif will have to lose colors if there are more than 256.) Also the compression techniques used with pngs can result in smaller file sizes than either gif or jpg though there are times when they are larger. One issue concerning pngs is that their popularity is relatively new and some older programs do not support them. More and more this is not an issue and as technology advances it should be less of one. Png is my personal choice (and that of the U.S. military) for any graphics where the “loss” of jpegs is not acceptable.